<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>my heart skipping beats by s-kiz (pigalle)</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27805294">my heart skipping beats</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pigalle/pseuds/s-kiz'>s-kiz (pigalle)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stray Kids (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bisexual Bang Chan, Canon Universe, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Kissing, M/M, Pining, chan rants about minho to jisung and changbin, heart kids room, they get fed up with him</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 08:27:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,916</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27805294</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pigalle/pseuds/s-kiz</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Minho buckles up, and then makes himself comfortable snuggled against Chan's arm, his head resting on his shoulder.</i>
  <br/>
  <i>Well then. Perhaps not entirely like normal.</i>
  <br/>
  <i>Despite the butterflies suddenly fluttering in his stomach, Chan rests his head against Minho's head. He rubs their heads together to show his affection before settling down and closing his eyes. It's comfy, and maybe if he's lucky he'll be able to have a short nap.</i>
</p><p> </p><p>Or, Chan is really surprised that Minho picked him for their heart kids room, and maybe somewhere along the lines he realises that, wait, he actually likes Minho!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bang Chan/Lee Minho | Lee Know</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>214</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>october☆sparkle: minchan ficfest</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>my heart skipping beats</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is for prompt #25 of the minchan fic fest <a href="https://twitter.com/MinchanFicfest">October Sparkle</a>!</p><blockquote>
  <p><br/>post ❤️ kids room where chan is still :o over minho picking him and how excited he got over him thinking he picked minho too and then the realization hits him that oh shit he kinda likes minho</p>
</blockquote><br/>The prompt also included "no angst in sight this is a story for the bisexuals and they've had enough" and I would just like to say that, yes, we are (but I also like angst so I'm conflicted - my brain tried to run away so I had to catch it and tell it “NO! No angst!! They didn’t want that!”)<p>I've had this finished since the end of October so I'm really excited to finally be able to post it!</p><p>Please have creator's style turned on! (Well, it's not a necessity, but certain parts will look much better with it.)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Even after exiting the room to give space for the next round of heart kids room, Chan can't stop giggling. He's almost unreasonably giddy, excited that in the end, Minho picked him. Minho picked him over Changbin who had been there since the first round!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s so in his own head that he forgets that it’s his turn next, their manager literally has to push him towards the other room. Even so, Chan is still distracted, giggling to himself while trying to sort out the order of his questions. He keeps wondering who might be interesting to hear answer them, despite him having no clue what order they will go in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>——— </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho is smiling at him when he walks into the room, and Chan can’t believe it. He’s giggling again as he sits down onto the sofa-chair-thing next to him (slightly head-spinning confused, thrown for a loop because it is so unlike Minho to say those things-), laughing in between trying to express his surprise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He normally doesn’t say things like that!" Chan exclaims, fighting not to blush bright red for some reason.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right, I don’t,” Minho nods along, “because I’m not number five."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then he stands up and skips out of the room as Felix walks in, laughing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tries not to show too much on his face for the camera as he goes through something like 5 stages of disbelief and confusion before finally accepting that they just played a prank on him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan is of course excited that he picked Felix, his brother, his soulmate, but there is a part of him that he can’t explain that feels a heavy disappointment. It tugs at his heartstring before he forces it down, away, and focuses on laughing along with Felix.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>——— </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan manages to focus fully on the task ahead for the rest of the kids' questions that he takes part in. But after, as they file into the vans to go home, he lets his mind run back to the feeling of excitement that came over him when Minho picked him and he thought he picked Minho. (To be fair, he should have realised, he did think correctly at first when he guessed number 5 was Felix and number 7 was Minho.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho nudges him when he slides in next to him, an eyebrow arched in question. Chan shakes his head as answer, there is nothing wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They usually split four-four when they have two vans, as they have now, but for some reason Minho still doesn't slide over from the middle seat to the edge one. For some reason he stays seated in the back seat right next to Chan. Once again, Chan has to fight a blush he has no clue why it's even there!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He can do this, he can sit next to Minho with a perfectly normal reaction. Nothing out of the ordinary or a reason to make him panic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho buckles up, and then makes himself comfortable snuggled against Chan's arm, his head resting on his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well then. Perhaps not entirely like normal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the butterflies suddenly fluttering in his stomach, Chan rests his head against Minho's head. He rubs their heads together to show his affection before settling down and closing his eyes. It's comfy, and maybe if he's lucky he'll be able to have a short nap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>——— </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan can’t stop thinking about Minho picking him in the game. It occupies his every waking moment he doesn’t manage to focus fully on something else, and he feels like he might just burst if he doesn’t get to talk to someone about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He seeks out Jisung two days after filming, when he really can’t take it anymore. He’s working in one of the smaller studios, so Chan sits down in one of the chairs and drags it up next to Jisung.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you want something, hyung?” Jisung asks, but he sounds distracted. Chan is probably bothering him and he doesn’t want to be rude and say it, but Chan really has to talk to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can you believe Minho picked me? Out of everyone he could have picked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, what are you talking about now hyung?” Jisung asks, but doesn’t look away from his computer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“During the game, Changbin stayed for all the rounds, but then in the last one Minho picked me!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So?” Jisung glances to the side at Chan now, but otherwise doesn’t seem very interested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t he, like, say you guys are soulmates?” Chan cringes at how desperate he sounds, but at least Jisung doesn’t seem to notice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And? Hyung, you make no sense, it was just a game, it’s not like it matters.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe it doesn’t. It probably shouldn’t, because as Jisung just said, it’s only a game. It shouldn’t matter that Minho picked him, and it shouldn’t matter that he didn’t pick Minho. And yet he can’t stop thinking about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>——— </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He watches the videos as they come out, and can’t help but laugh at how quick Minho is to get out of there every round. Until his own episode comes out, and he has to watch Minho seemingly make an effort to be picked. No, he’s probably just reading into it, right? It’s just his wishful thinking making him think so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He has to talk to someone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He finds Changbin first, on his way to one of the studios. He frowns when he notices Chan stalking towards him, and lifts a hand in greeting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it just me, or did Minho really avoid being picked?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Changbin does a double take and asks, “What are you talking about?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“During our heart kids room,” Chan explains, even though he feels like it should be obvious. “I’ve been watching them, and he really tried not to be picked!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay?” Changbin, if possible, seems even more confused now. “And?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But during my round it really seemed like he was trying!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Changbin raises his eyebrows, and seems to think for a moment about what to say (or maybe, if he will actually dare say it). “And what does that matter to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan finds himself at a loss for what to say for a moment. “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was just a fun game, why does it matter whether he was trying or not to be picked?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess…” Chan trails off, knowing what he should be saying and yet not really wanting to, “it doesn’t matter.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>——— </span>
</p>
<p></p><div class="chatleft">
  <p class="chattitle">
  <span><b>changbinnie</b></span>
</p>
  <p>
  <span class="recieved">hyung</span>
</p>
  <p>
  <span class="sent">yeah?</span>
</p>
</div>
<p></p><div class="fakescreenimg"><p class="twitterheader"><span class="twitterbluetext">⇐</span>　　<b>트윗</b></p>
<p></p><div class="twittertextdel"><p class="inlineblock"><span class="inline"><span class="smalltwittertext"><b>dani in生</b><br/>
@daniminchanist</span></span></p><p>so uh, WHO'S GONNA TELL THEM THAT THIS IS NOT A DATING SHOW????<br/>
<span class="translatetwt">트윗 번역하기</span><br/>
</p>
<table class="table">

<tbody>
<tr class="bottomline">
    <td colspan="4">
<span class="smalltwittertext">오후 3:21 · 2020년 10월 9일 • <span class="twitterbluetext">Twitter for Android</span></span>
</td>
  </tr>

<tr class="bottomline">
    <td colspan="4"><span class="smalltwittertext"><b>216</b> 리트윗　<b>68</b> 인용한 트윗</span></td>
  </tr>

<tr class="bottomline">
<td colspan="4"><span class="smalltwittertext"><b>401</b> 마음에 들어요 수</span></td>
</tr>

<tr class="bottomline">
<td><span class="twittersymbols">❑</span></td>
<td><span class="twittersymbols">⇄</span></td>
<td><span class="twittersymbols">♡</span></td>
<td><span class="twittersymbols">≡</span></td>

</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div></div><div></div><div class="chatleft">
  <p>
  <span class="sent">why?</span>
</p>
  <p>
  <span class="recieved">just thought you might need the reminder</span>
</p>
</div><p>
  <span>——— </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He doesn’t. He doesn’t need a reminder that their heart kids room is not a dating show because he’s fully aware of that and it’s not like he wants to date one of them either. Yeah. Changbin must mean something else by it. For sure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(But does he really, though? Is he really so blind to the facts all around him? Is he really going to ignore the feelings he’s beginning to become aware of?)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>——— </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan joins Minho and Jeongin to watch a movie one night. He does watch it, and he probably enjoys it, but at the end of the night he can’t tell you the plot of it even if his life is on the line.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jeongin goes to bed about half way through the movie, but Minho insists to stay and finish it, despite his eyes drooping every other second. Chan startles so much he almost jumps off the couch when he feels a sudden weight on his shoulder. It’s just Minho, having fallen asleep against Chan’s side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He almost screams. He really very nearly does, out loud for everyone to hear. Fortunately he manages to keep it in, instead only letting out a weird half choked off sound like an animal dying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho doesn’t stir.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looks so soft like this, features smooth and his hair gently falling over his forehead. Chan wants nothing but to reach up and boop his nose, maybe move the strand of hair that is dangerously close to falling in his eye. But he doesn’t, because the last thing he wants is to wake Minho up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, he folds his hands in his lap to keep them from moving, and turns back to the movie. He stares at the screen, but he can’t take anything in, too acutely aware of Minho’s slow breath fanning out against his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He waits, keeping still like a statue, for a little while longer, until he is almost certain Minho is properly asleep. Then he carefully shuffles Minho forward until he can get an arm around his back, hooking the other underneath his knees and lifting him up. Minho doesn’t stir, only lets out a huff in his sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan pulls in a breath of relief. One step done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He walks into Minho’s room and carefully lays him down on his bed. He stirs slightly, but at least doesn’t seem to wake up. Chan shifts him around until he can get the blanket out from underneath him, and then … falters for what to do. Minho doesn’t sleep with his clothes on, but on the other hand it would be kind of weird for Chan to undress him while he’s asleep, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then again, he’s helped Jisung and Felix a number of times after they’ve asked because they were practically asleep, and this shouldn’t be any different, right?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(It shouldn’t, but still it feels so different.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan sighs, and decides that he should just do it, get it over with. It’s not weird. Minho will probably thank him if he finds out. (Which he won’t, Chan tells himself at the nervous swoop of his stomach at the thought.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shuffles him out of his shirt first, doing it slowly so as not to wake him up. Minho shifts to this side when Chan has gotten it off, but at least doesn’t wake up. Small victories. His pants are slightly harder, the tight material clinging to Minho’s thighs. His very muscular thighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan manages to get the pants off as well and hurries to drape the blanket over his body before exiting the bedroom and dragging in a deep breath. Everything is completely fine. Yeah. Completely fine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s inside Changbin’s room before he even realises where he’s heading. The other is sleeping, but Chan kneels down next to his bed, carefully trying to shake him awake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Changbin. Hey, Changbin, wake up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Changbin stirs after a few minutes, blinking his eyes open. “Hm?” He sounds disoriented, which is fair — it’s the middle of the night and Chan just woke him up. “What do you want? Did something happen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Minho fell asleep on my shoulder.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Changbin blinks at him, as if he thinks he heard Chan wrong. “What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is it weird that I undressed him when he was asleep?” Chan asks, ignoring Changbin’s question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Changbin blinks rapidly a few times, and looks like he wants to go back to sleep. “What’s weird is that you woke me up to have this conversation. Go the fuck to sleep, hyung.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Chan can say anything else he turns his back to Chan and settles down, pulling his blanket up over his head. Clearly he wants no more part in the conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan sighs, and stands back up. He probably shouldn’t wake Felix up to ask about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(No, he absolutely shouldn’t. What was he even thinking, waking Changbin up in the first place?)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He should probably go to sleep, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>——— </span>
</p>
<p></p><div class="chatleft">
  <p class="chattitle">
  <span><b>jisungie</b></span>
</p>
  <p><span class="sent">look</span><br/>

<span><br/>
</span><span class="sent">he’s barely even smiling, why does he have to look so ethereal? 😭</span></p>
  <p>
  <span class="recieved">you okay there hyung??</span>
</p>
  <p>
  <span class="sent">yes of course</span>
</p>
  <p>
  <span class="recieved">are you sure????</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span class="recieved">because you’re sending me pics of minho and calling him ethereal…</span>
</p>
  <p>
  <span class="sent">do you see like the flower crown thingy?!</span>
</p>
  <p>
  <span class="recieved">yes. you sent me the pic…</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span class="recieved">ah, seriously, hyung…</span>
</p>
  <p>
  <span class="sent">it’s as if he’s looking right into my soul!</span>
</p>
  <p>
  <span class="recieved">🙄</span>
</p>
</div><p>
  <span>——— </span>
</p>
<p></p><div class="chatleft">
  <p class="chattitle">
  <span><b>jisungie</b></span>
</p>
  <p>
  <br/>

</p>
  <p>
  <span class="recieved">i’m gonna stop you before you can even finish typing</span>
</p>
  <p>
  <span class="sent">but-!</span>
</p>
  <p>
  <span class="recieved">no, please.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span class="recieved">hyung</span>
</p>
  <p>
  <span class="sent">fine 😭</span>
</p>
</div><p>
  <span>——— </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho is still awake when Chan comes home to the dorm, just a few minutes before midnight, before his birthday. He's on the couch with Jeongin and Jisung, watching a movie.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He takes one look at Chan, and before Chan can even open his mouth and ask about it, Minho says, "Jisung bullied me to stay up until all of you have congratulated me. But not a minute longer!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan bends down to take off his shoes, and checks his phone for the time when he straightens back up. Just a minute left. When it turns midnight, Chan puts his phone away and looks at Minho. They lock eyes, and it's as if Minho can read every single one of his intentions in his eyes, because he stands up and starts backing away slowly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't you dare," he threatens, raising his hands in warning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan takes off after him without a care in the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho runs towards the veranda, probably hoping to be able to escape there, but Jisung joins Chan in chasing Minho, and soon everyone else does as well. They catch Minho right in the doorway to the veranda, dogpiling on him from all directions. Chan manages to pull him into his arms before he’s pushed to the side, and keeps his grip even as the rest lose interest and let him go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho tries to escape to go back to the sofa, but Chan won’t let him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"My favourite main dancer," he says, clinging even tighter to Minho with all his strength, pinning his arms to his sides so he can't escape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You have literally called Felix your </span>
  <em>
    <span>soulmate</span>
  </em>
  <span> several times."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan considers it for a moment before saying, "My favourite oldest main dancer, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's so much worse," Jisung says, walking back into the living room from the kitchen with a bag of chips in his hand (no, literally, he's munching on chips as if Chan and Minho are the latest drama he doesn't want to miss a second of). "You should just not say anything instead. Show him with actions!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan has no clue what Jisung actually means, considering Minho is trying to squirm his way out of Chan's grip in that very moment, and so he narrows his eyes at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hyung,” Minho says, cutting off Chan’s train of thoughts. He sounds firm, but at least he’s stopped trying to squirm his way out of Chan’s arm. “Let me go, I still haven’t finished the movie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s fine,” Chan says, choosing to ignore his request of being freed. Instead he penguin-waddles the two of them to the couch until they can collapse onto it, with Minho practically in his lap. Minho sighs, as if knowing just how fruitless any more attempts to avoid cuddles are, and settles down against Chan’s chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Changbin gives him a look he can’t read, so he ignores it in favour of focusing on Minho. The movie has already played too far for him to be able to catch up with the plot, but it’s just as amusing to watch and listen to Minho’s small reactions. It must be a comedy because he keeps giggling, not doing anything to dissuade Chan from thinking he’s cute.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(But that’s just because there is nothing Minho can do that will make Chan stop thinking he’s cute.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>——— </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan, Jisung and Changbin are sitting in one of the bigger studios together, not at the moment working together, when Chan notices that Minho has gone live. He opens it without really thinking, instantly ignoring his work in favour of watching Minho.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s wearing his halloween costume, the first proper look Chan is getting of it, and it’s … a lot. Quite a lot for Chan’s poor little heart to handle. He can’t even say it’s too early in the day for it, not when it’s a late afternoon, on the brink of becoming evening — so not even too late. Chan just can’t handle the way he looks, and he </span>
  <em>
    <span>needs</span>
  </em>
  <span> to talk about it right in that very moment or he actually might just </span>
  <em>
    <span>burst.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did you see Minho’s costume?” Chan asks, not addressing it to anyone in particular as much as to the room in general. “Is it weird to think of him as cute when he’s dressed as Chucky? It is maybe a little… but he really is! Ah, that red hair fits him really well, and when he glares… wow! I can feel my heart skipping beats!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dude, that’s kinda gay,” Changbin comments, interupting Chan’s rant but not actually looking away from his screen. You could almost think he wasn’t even listening if not for the annoyed pull of his shoulders.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I am bisexual.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Changbin shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath in. “Then shut your </span>
  <em>
    <span>bisexual</span>
  </em>
  <span> ass up and go do something about your obvious crush on Minho-hyung!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, go kiss him!” Jisung adds, ever the enthusiast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And leave us alone,” Changbin adds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But,” Chan protests, “I don’t like Minho.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Changbin gives him a deadpan look, as if Chan has aged him 20 years by those words alone. “You can fool absolutely no one, just shut up and get out of here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Because Chan still has work to do, he doesn’t leave the room, but it’s a close one. Instead he accepts the fact that Jisung and Chanbin are tired of him ranting and shuts up, which at least seems to appease them somewhat. Plus, Minho is still live, it’s not like he can just burst in there to tell him that Jisung and Changbin thinks Chan has a crush on him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>——— </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho is in the bathroom about to wipe off his makeup when Chan arrives back home to the dorm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No," he warns before Chan can even open his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But I just want to shower you with love!" Chan — playfully — whines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho glances at the clock before saying, "You have 20 minutes to distantly express your affection before I will not tolerate it anymore. Use your time wisely."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's bullshit," Chan says, coming up behind him so he can hook his chin over Minho's shoulder. Like that, their faces are next to each other, fitting surprisingly nicely together. Chan's makeup is much more subtle in comparison to Minho's, but at least he can blame his heavy eyeshadow on his eyes darkening as he takes in Minho.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He'd watched his whole vlive — because of course he had — and Stay had called Minho cute. Chan can agree only somewhat, because that also misses the point where Minho is actually really hot and Chan's stomach is melting right then and there, curling with heat in that very moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Being pressed close to him like this is kind of dangerous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is this distant enough for you?" Chan asks to distract himself from his impending doom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Absolutely not, get off me." Minho's fault, though, is that he makes no move to push Chan away. He should know by now that Chan is not that easily discouraged, especially when he already has them in his clutches.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(Perhaps “clutches” is a bit dramatical to describe Chan; spot on for Minho, but a more apt description of Chan would be embrace or clinging. If you trust Felix to describe it, that is.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you sleepy?" Minho asks when the silence stretches out a little too long. He pats Chan's hands where they're clasped together on his stomach, but makes no move to try to remove them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Maybe," Chan mumbles and plants his chin on Minho's shoulder a little firmer. He closes his eyes and lets his head fall to the side to rest against Minho's.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You still need to remove your makeup," Minho reminds him, voice gentle and laced with something sweet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do it for me?" Chan asks before he can even think too much of what he's actually saying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho gives a hum as an answer but doesn't protest. "This would be easier if you were facing me."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't wanna let go," Chan mumbles, actually feeling tendrils of sleep settling over him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho sighs, way over exaggerated, probably something immensely exasperated with Chan right now. When he tries to move Chan's hands he lets out a whine from the back of his throat, but Minho doesn't care. He manages to loosen Chan's grip until he can spin him around and lean him against the counter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Either jump up and sit down, or </span>
  <em>
    <span>remain standing.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I'm not gonna be keeping you upright."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay," Chan agrees and jumps up on the counter. Like that, he can hook his legs around Minho's hips and keep him close.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You never learn," Minho mutters, but once again, he makes no move to step away from Chan. “At least close your eyes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I want to look at you,” Chan says without thinking, realising a second too late that Minho is holding up a makeup wipe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why are you so cheesy all of a sudden?” Minho groans, pressing the makeup wipe against Chan’s skin but waiting to drag it across Chan’s eye until he has closed them. It makes Chan smile, because it’s the little things that show that Minho actually cares, even though he tries not to show it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s because I’m so close to you, you make me melt — like cheese,” Chan says, grinning, as Minho gently wipes away his eyeshadow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seriously?” Minho asks, but Chan is pretty sure he heard him snort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm-hm, I’m swiss cheese without you, baby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Chan can practically hear the confused frown in his voice, apparently so distracted by the swiss cheese that he didn’t even notice Chan calling him baby. He usually always calls Chan out when he does that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(Now that he thinks about it, perhaps he should have realised his crush a little earlier.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Full of holes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please stop,” Minho says, but at least when Chan takes a peek he is smiling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can keep going,” Chan grins, “I think you’re really grate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, please don’t,” Minho protests, but this time Chan is certain he hears him giggle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we’d be really gouda together.” He can’t keep in his giggles, and he has to look at Minho as well, so he opens his eyes, considering Minho seems to be too distracted to continue to remove his makeup.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hyung, shut up,” Minho rolls his eyes, or at least he seems to try to, but he’s smiling too widely for it to have any real effect.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not if you don’t make me,” Chan says, feeling brave for a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho’s eyes finds his, and it’s once again as if he can read Chan’s soul, all his thoughts and intentions, because he leans in and meets Chan half-way, pressing their lips together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No more puns, okay?” he whispers against Chan’s lip, and Chan can’t do anything else but agree.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan thinks he hears him whisper “good,” against his lips, but it’s too quiet to be sure, and Minho deepens the kiss slightly, as if to distract him. They stay like that for a bit, Chan keeping Minho close with his legs. Not that it seems Minho is inclined to move away any time soon, and yet Chan’s legs clenches involuntarily when Minho pulls away from his lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hyung, you’re still not going to tell me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell you what?” Chan asks, confused for a moment if he’s forgotten something they talked about before.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“About your crush on me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wha- how did you know?!” Chan feels his eyes widen, but he’s not able to stop them. How did Minho find out about that? Has he known even before Chan himself was aware of it?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho leans in again, and Chan can feel his grin against his lips. “I didn’t, just guessed, but you just confirmed it for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sneaky,” Chan sighs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jisung has also been complaining to me about how much you’ve talked about me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan almost chokes on nothing, hiding his face against Minho’s neck with a groan. “Why would he-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho simply laughs at him. “It’s kinda ironic though, because him complaining about it is really just him ranting about you to me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should tell him that,” Chan says, feeling some confidence coming back to him. He gives Minho’s neck a kiss, and both hears and feels his breath hitch. “I would love to see his face when he realises.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please stop talking about Jisung now,” Minho groans, tightening his hold on Chan’s arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You were the one who brought him up.” He can’t help it, he needs to tease Minho back now that he has the opportunity.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And now I’ve decided I don’t want to talk about him anymore,” Minho says, and leans back in to pull at Chan’s bottom lip with his teeth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They kiss for a little while longer, Chan making sure to bring Minho back down to a slow pace whenever he starts biting and pulling too much. In the end it is Minho that pulls away first, when he must have noticed that Chan was trying to suppress a yawn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, you were tired.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no!” Chan shakes his head. “We can continue!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have half your makeup still on,” Minho protests, “at least let me remove it all first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chan closes his eyes as Minho fetches another makeup wipe, wiping at Chan’s other eye.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, uh, what…” He can’t bring himself to ask. But at least he wouldn’t have to be looking at him if he does, right? No, he can’t. Or- “What were you planning to do about knowing for sure that I have a crush on you?” Wow, Chan almost applauds himself for that progress.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I was planning on it to lead to kisses, but it seems we’re doing things a little backwards.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And…” Chan starts, not sure exactly how to continue “the kisses would be because…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re a dumbass,” Minho says, but he sounds fond, so Chan refrains from scolding him until he’s heard what more he has to say. “It would be because I, too, have a crush on you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of scolding him, a corner of Chan’s mouth lifts up, trying to smirk, without his permission. He peaks at Minho's face and says, “I never said I have a crush on myself. I said I have one on you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I take it back,” Minho groans, throwing his head back and rolling his eyes, “I don’t have a crush on you anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No take backs allowed!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t decide that,” Minho huffs, wiping just a little rougher over Chan’s eyelid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just did.” Chan sneaks his hands underneath Minho’s shirt, spreading them out over his stomach. “You’ve said it already, can’t go back on that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho doesn’t say anything else, not even to protest against Chan’s wandering hands, until he’s finished with removing Chan’s makeup. “You’re done now, get down from the counter so I can go to sleep.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can’t go to sleep if I’m still on the counter?” Chan asks, but hops down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho narrows his eyes when he looks at him, looking as if he’s contemplating what to say, or maybe even if he </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> say something. “I wanna cuddle in bed and talk to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Talk?” Chan finds himself frowning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you know that thing where you say words to each other?” Minho snarks, and starts pushing Chan out the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, wait a minute!” Chan protests, planting his feet firmly on the floor so Minho can’t move him. “I still need to brush my teeth!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you promise to come to my bed after?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promise,” Chan says, giving Minho as serious of a look as he can manage when all he really wants to do is giggle at their silliness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>——— </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Chan joins him 10 minutes later Minho is already settled in his bed under his blanket. He looks up when Chan enters the room and lifts up a corner of the blanket in invitation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What did you want to talk about?” Chan asks as he crawls in next to Minho. He tries to keep his voice down to not wake up the other boys sleeping in the room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Obviously we need to make sure we both know what we’re doing and where we're going with this,” Minho says, letting Chan pull him against his chest. “We can’t just jump blindly into it and hope for the best.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think we should just see where this takes us,” Chan says, “it doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are two very public people with eyes on us all the time,” Minho says, his choice of words seeming much more harsh than the softness of his voice. “We can’t just hope that everything will be fine without a plan. Will we tell anyone? Who should we tell?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Minho,” Chan murmurs, shutting him up with a kiss, “that’s something we can worry about tomorrow. We don’t need to think about it now.” When Minho only frowns — barely visible in the darkness of the room — he adds, “We can just take it slow and secret at first until </span>
  <em>
    <span>we</span>
  </em>
  <span> know what it is we want. We don’t have to announce to the whole world that we’re married first thing tomorrow morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Minho snorts at that, and murmurs, “Okay,” before settling down more comfortably against Chan. “We’ll think about it tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mm,” Chan agrees, kissing him on the forehead, “goodnight, baby.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Goodnight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(To Chan, it is yet another small victory that Minho doesn’t protest being called baby.)</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Heart kids rooms:<br/><a href="https://youtu.be/rbLMIUU0jzI">Minho's</a><br/><a href="https://youtu.be/zBvKNlUO0b4">Chan's</a><br/>Minho pics:<br/><a href="https://twitter.com/Stray_Kids/status/1315163105920380928">the first pic</a><br/><a href="https://twitter.com/Stray_Kids/status/1319262430065618944">the second and third pic</a><br/>Not as pics in this fic, but <a href="https://twitter.com/Stray_Kids/status/1320670525325099008">Minho's Chucky costume</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Stray_Kids/status/1320673282123689984">Chan's vampire costume</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>